Little-Known Burial Benefits for Veterans

Burial is expensive. So expensive, in fact, that people routinely buy life insurance specifically for the purpose of paying for it. Because Hampton Roads has such a strong military presence, we at the Hook Law Center often meet with Veterans. Relatively few, however, seem to know about all of the burial benefits available to them – and their spouses and dependents – through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Burial benefits available to Veterans and their families depend on whether the Veteran is to be buried in one of the Department of Veterans Affairs’ 134 national cemeteries or in a private cemetery. A Veteran who is buried in a national cemetery is entitled to opening and closing of the grave, perpetual care of the grave, a government headstone or marker, a burial flag, and a Presidential Memorial Certificate, at no cost to the family. Cremated remains are buried or inurned in a national cemetery with the same honors. A Veteran’s spouse and dependents are eligible for burial in a national cemetery with the Veteran, as well, to include burial with the Veteran, perpetual care of the grave, and the individual’s name, date of birth, and date of death inscribed on the Veteran’s headstone, again at no cost to the family, even if the individual predeceased the Veteran. It is not possible to reserve a grave in a national cemetery in advance; therefore, after the Veteran or his spouse or dependent has died, the family can either contact a funeral home to assist them with making arrangements at the national cemetery (the family can always make pre-need arrangements with the funeral home, too), or contact the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 1-866-900-6417 to schedule a burial. The family will need to present the Veteran’s discharge papers in order to do so.

A Veteran who is buried in a private cemetery is also entitled to a government headstone, marker, or medallion; a burial flag; and a Presidential Memorial Certificate, at no cost to the family; however, spouses and dependents are not eligible for benefits if buried in a private cemetery. Some eligible Veterans who are buried in a private cemetery may also be eligible for up to approximately $747 as a plot-internment allowance.

Regardless of whether the Veteran and his spouse or dependents are buried in a national cemetery or a private cemetery, any funeral service held in the individual’s honor is at the family’s expense.

In addition to the foregoing benefits, some Veterans may also be eligible to receive a burial allowance from the VA. The amount of the allowance depends on whether the Veteran’s death was service-related; if yes, the maximum is approximately $2,000. If the Veteran’s death was not service-related, then the amount of the allowance depends on whether the Veteran was hospitalized by the VA at the time of death; if yes, the maximum is approximately $747; if no, the maximum is approximately $300. These figures are subject to an annual increase based on the Consumer Price Index for the preceding 12 months. To obtain this allowance, in the past, the Veteran’s family has generally needed to pay for the Veteran’s burial expenses up front, then submit documentation and VA Form 21-530, Application for Burial Allowance, to the VA for reimbursement. However, the VA has revised its regulations so that it may pay an eligible surviving spouse the maximum amount of the applicable benefit up front, rather than reimbursing them for actual costs incurred.

Hook Law Center: Kit Kat, what can you tell us about moose visiting farmers on the farm?

Kit Kat: Well, this is really not so strange as it might initially seem. This information comes from the Province of Saskatchewan, Canada. Researchers at the University of Saskatchewan tracked 40 adult female moose for a two-year period. What they found was that moose were encroaching on farmland, attracted by the easy source of food. Moose especially liked flax, peas, and canola. Another factor was that their previous source of food of waterfowl and small animals found in prairie pothole wetlands was increasingly unavailable. Farmers have begun to fill in these wetlands to make it easier to move around farm equipment.

To date, the female moose’s decision to forage from farmlands doesn’t seem like a bad idea. In the forest, the mortality rate for juvenile moose is 50-80%. Bear and wolf are the culprits. However, living off the farm results in a survival rate of 90%. In the long run, though, this may not prove to be a sustainable plan. As the number of wetlands shrink due to farmers’ actions and climate warming, moose must continue to seek shade and water from other places. This may lead them back to the forest.

In the meantime, researchers are noticing other trends regarding moose. They are declining in parts of the U.S. and in parts of British Columbia. In New Hampshire, for example, their number has declined 40% in the last 3 years. An increase in water ticks due to a warming climate seems to be the cause. Traffic accidents also appear to be a threat to moose survival, as they move from location to location, especially during the months between May and October, when they are mating and bearing offspring. Stay tuned as we watch how moose evolve in their struggle to survive in our changing world. (Katharine Gammon, “Moose Are Invading Farm Fields,” June 1, 2016 on www.takepart.com)

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The Hook Law Center (formerly Oast & Hook) offices are located in Virginia Beach, and Suffolk, convenient to the Peninsula, and Southside including the cities of Chesapeake, the Eastern Shore, Franklin, Hampton, Isle of Wight, Newport News, Norfolk, Poquoson, Portsmouth, Richmond, Smithfield, Suffolk, Virginia Beach, Williamsburg, Yorktown and Zuni. Content by elder law attorney, Andrew Hook and the Hook Law Center staff.